


Coalition

by kanekiki



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Future Fic, Gradually Established Relationship, M/M, Relationship Study, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, set in their third year, theyre kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 13:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17387162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanekiki/pseuds/kanekiki
Summary: It's better like this, that way they can move forward without the fear of ever being separated, being torn apart. The pace may be a little fast for Ritsu's tastes, but he'll manage.





	Coalition

_Please see me and only me._

Ritsu knows it's not a rational desire to have, but he appreciates the times when he can unashamedly have Mao all for himself. When Mao ruffles his hair, when they touch, when they're cuddling, it's the intimacy that Ritsu craves the most, to be the center of Mao's attention. It makes him feel special, makes him feel loved, when they're laying in bed at two in the morning. Legs tangled together beneath the comforter, Mao lets Ritsu crawl next to him, against him, speaking in shushed whispers, like tiny secrets. Ritsu's arms naturally wrap loosely around Mao's warm, broad shoulders, a welcoming and soothing embrace. Ritsu says something dumb and Mao laughs, telling Ritsu to shut up so they can sleep and that he's going to regret it in the morning. 

 

 _I can't keep you all to myself anymore._

 

And, he does, he's not suited for being regrettably awake this early in the morning, he's going to have to get used to it. Tired and whiny, Mao complains about Ritsu complaining as he brushes his teeth. He and Ritsu fight with elbows over space at the sink, and then Ritsu dresses himself on his own. Mao can't help it though, his hand fidgets as it reaches out to Ritsu's chest, only straightening his collar just a little bit, hand lingering longer than necessary. He knows, their hearts are connected, intertwined after all, Mao misses taking care of him. Ritsu notices especially when Mao smiles at him, something behind his eyes so histrionic, a mix of loneliness and elation when he realizes Ritsu doesn't need help. It's always been something to keep him busy and preoccupied, but Ritsu's learned that caring for someone is so much more than just that. He enjoys it as much as Ritsu does, it's always been their mutual arrangement, even since childhood.

 

 _Some things just never can be changed._

 

Taking just a simple but so ominously relevant thing from him, Ritsu doesn't like it that much at first either. He notes how sometimes he feels a chill ghosting along his entire being, in the back of his mind he knows it's because he misses Maa-kun's endless warmth.They still indulge each other sometimes. It's not like he declines Mao carrying him to and from school when he's just so exhausted on some days, and it's not like he never stopped tiring Mao out on purpose just to get him to rest for once and take breaks occasionally.He's doing his best, and he knows that he's capable of it when he tries. He tries not to rely on Mao too much these days even though he fights the urge of wanting to be cared for almost constantly. They have stuff to do and he doesn't want to use Mao as a crutch anymore. Mao always liked that though, in some weird way, to be needed.

 

 _There's_ _a thin line between being needed and being wanted._

He will stand on his own two feet as Mao walks beside him. Ritsu wants to have the privilege, wants the right to walk beside Mao with his head held high. He can't be a burden, and despite taking years to realize it, it feels a lot better—exhilarating, even—to hold hands with his Maa-kun on even ground.

 

_Growing up, growing stronger, but trying not to grow apart._

 

It's better like this, that way they can move forward without the fear of ever being separated, being torn apart. The pace may be a little fast for Ritsu's tastes, but he'll manage as long as Mao doesn't get too ahead of himself. Ritsu guesses, that's the whole point of growing up, together with their own sense of purpose, for whatever they want to do. Even if Mao holds his hand through it, to pull him through, entirely out into the beckoning light where he can catch up. He can't live in the shadows forever without dying. Soon, he's going to have to look back to pull Mao's hand forward, like Mao has done for him so many, many times, with the way Mao keeps encouraging him and reassuring him to do better. Then, the chase cycle will repeat itself naturally, as long as they can do it together.

 

 _We may as well stay together, forever._

 

Ritsu doesn't really ever think that far into the future, only briefly while strategizing in the moment. But if he could see the indefinite future, Mao would be there. He thinks, he could spend the rest of his life with this boy. There are times when he's completely spoiled, that really makes him think, that he would never willingly leave Mao's side. Mao is his home. At his house, when Mao and him make sweets and Mao screeches when he chases him around with a dagger shaped candy, to the simple, comfortable times when they share meals and Rei tries to interfere. Ritsu lets him join them, sometimes, but that comes with growing up, naturally. Making up and letting go of past hurt, experiences with Mao that have helped him learn that. It's nice now, when this house used to make him feel so agonizingly lonely, but he's learned that negative feelings can be replaced with an open heart. Mao's probably the one who ripped his heart open, the first person in his life to ever give him affection. Because of that, he treats these quiet times with Mao like rewards for all his hard work. He doesn't need anything else other than when he half-pretends to read a book while sitting on the floor with his back propped against the bed and studying, when Mao's overworked but gentle hand rests atop his head, his fingers card through Ritsu's hair from where he sits on the bed above him.

 

 _It's_ _a_ _content_ _feeling_ , _spending_ _so_ _much_ _time_ _with_ _someone_ _you_ _love_ _so_ _much_.

 

Constantly busy and scattering while approaching the end of their days at Yumenosaki Academy, preparing to enter the real world, efforts arn't wasted. Ritsu desperately trying to keep his grades up despite his lazy nature, and Mao being the student council president, they still have time for each other and make points of it. It doesn't matter if they're not together every waking moment anymore, it doesn't matter if Ritsu only sees him for a minute that whole day. Ritsu always makes sure that Mao knows he's proud of him, cheer him on to go forward but also to tease him about overworking himself. Ritsu teases him when they plan certain times to do stuff and hang out—dates, Ritsu likes to brag and taunt Mao about them—but Mao says 'sitting on your roof at four in the morning until the sun comes up, they're not dates.'

 

 _Simple_ _actions_ , _but_ _the_ _little_ _things_ _still_ _always_ _mean_ _so_ _much_.

 

There are things they do when they're completely alone, usually at night, developing a mutually understood but unspoken agreement over time where they sleep together, almost every night since they've started the new year at school. Majority of the time they're unconscious, enveloped in a quiet warmth but the presence alone makes Ritsu's heart swell fervently. When Mao thinks that Ritsu's sleeping and kisses his forehead. When they fall asleep in each other's arms and Ritsu doesn't go to sleep just yet, but watches Mao's peaceful sleeping face instead, a view worth fighting to keep his drowsy eyelids open for. It's more than enough, if Ritsu could just enjoy the uncomplicated aspects of their relationship like this forever. After coming to peace with terms, he thinks as he feels his heart convulse in his chest, if his heart beats any louder beneath his ribs he's going to wake Mao.

 

 _It's_ _how_ _it_ _should_ _be_.

 

When they kiss, while wrapped up in each other it feels like hours pass by within actual minutes, feels like heaven, a place for just the two of them. Mao's mouth is really warm and inviting, he thinks as his tongue slips inside languidly. Together when it gets heated, and their two bodies even intertwine, frantic and urgent motions, a union where they can physically and emotionallyget as close as possible, those are the _special_ intimate times they share, where they can only see each other. Whispering sweet words, hands gripping everywhere they can reach to keep themselves from drowning in passion with the fear of never being able to resurface. Ritsu wouldn't mind that though, these are the times he feels like he could forget his sense of identity and just fall with Mao, and the thrill rushes through his veins because he knows, Mao would do the same for him. In a fleeting moment where time doesn't really exist, the idol world doesn't exist, nothing exists besides _them_. Everything else is blurred out and their emotions are just so vibrant and ardent. It's just the two of the in the whole entire world.

 

 _But_ _the_ _universe_ _is_ _so_ _big_ _compared_ _to_ _the_ _world_ , _he_ _gets_ _a_ _chance_ _to_ _see_ _all_ _it_ _can_ _offer_.

 

 

To be able to stand on the same stage, a finale, a closing of this period time in their still young lives, symbolically. For Knights and Trickstar as they have been for these last three years, an ensemble that has been though a lot of shit, together and respectively. Ritsu's always noted how their individual units subtly complimented each other like that. A show that they give their all for pour and convey every feeling into, three years of accumulated struggle, defeat and victory, the ups and downs and the sheer devotion—it's so blinding, so heart throbbing it could nearly explode and leave a mark indented on the earth forever. They stand across the stage from each other at the end of the last note played and sung, both with one hand raised in the air, chests heaving deeply and sweat smeared along the bridges of their noses. Ritsu thinks, this is the paradise that Mao truly deserves. This is almost what it feels like, almost the same brightness that Mao emits and pulled him into from the darkness. To think Mao could bring him here and show him this, from the twilight he spent so long in, secluded in the night. He still prefers sundown and the moon ultimately, but would give it all up for brilliant and dazzling lights and deafening cheers everywhere. He'd gladly give it up in a heartbeat. When Mao is just so _happy_ that he runs over to Ritsu, using the last of his enduring strength Mao picks him up, holding him tight in his arms. A spirited and strong embrace, while spinning them in a circle. When Mao smiles at him so wide, beaming, the corners of his eyes creasing and tears sparkling like lucid stars on the edges, that look is for Ritsu and Ritsu alone. Ritsu can't hold back the wobbly grin on his flushed face, burying his face against Mao's head and he can't help the searing hot tears from flowing from his eyes and into Mao's already soaked hair, lids forced to closed like a flash of brightness and he's so exhausted and feels so blessed that he could pass out.

 

He thinks, _Maa-kun, I should be the one thanking you instead for this._

**Author's Note:**

> Oh fuck
> 
> ritsumaoritsu babey 
> 
> this is set after both band ensemble and halloween4, we love a good chara growth arc. i don't like writing Ritsu's perspective bc I always make it seem so dramatic but I hope that you enjoy this,, and thank you for reading always <3
> 
> also some parts were heavily inspired by [this song](https://youtu.be/gTxSGBvgCoQ) so I have to credit it, it's a good song if you wanna listen (:


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